A.J. Wasserstein, 32-year old founder and President of Archives Management, Inc., a records management and storage services company based in Connecticut, did just that. 

While attending business school in New York, he looked at various business opportunities to start his entrepreneurial venture. After graduating from the Stern School of Business at New York University in 1991, A. J. Wasserstein, then 24, returned home in Southbury, Connecticut to raise money and start Archives Management, his newly hatched file-storage company.  He was attracted in the records storage business in large part because it is a steady business. "The model is, once you get a customer, you have a customer for life. It's a long-term decision for our clients. We'd like to think we have them forever - if we live up to their expectations."

Now, Archives Management provides records management and storage services to more than 1,000 businesses -- law firms, insurance agencies, large corporations, hospitals and medical practices. The company stores files, legal documents, medical records and contracts for companies with a penchant for piling up the paper, and deliver them back to the customers when needed. 

From its 2,000 square feet of rented space in Milford, Connecticut, Archives Management now operates in three marketplaces: Connecticut, Long Island and New Jersey. Wasserstein's  goal is to build a "super-regional" company operating in multiple, contiguous states. 

Not one to look at the business world from a hobbyist perspective, he believes that choosing a business entails two elements -- emotional and scientific. Wasserstein prefers the latter: “You want to make sure that the scientific elements work, because no matter how much energy and passion you put in a business, which I think you should, if it’s a bad business, you’re not gonna make it good.”

Every business has its own economic characteristics, and his research showed that records management is a solid business model. Consider these: recurring cash flow; long term contracts; high capital barriers to entry so there are few competitors; and high switching costs for customers if they want to move to another company.  As Wasserstein contends, “When I wake up on January 1^st, I know what my revenues will be for the next 12 months.” While capitalization costs may be high, there is also a built-in growth rate, allowing the company to grow internally at about eight percent a year even without making incremental sales.  Boring as the task of keeping other people’s files maybe, you can understand what made Wasserstein fall in love with this industry.

To turn this “boring” business into something exciting, Wasserstein and his management takes a creative approach to customer and employee relations, and makes it fun.  According to him, “We have wonderful people programs in place.  I think we are cutting-edge technology.” 

And so far, he is succeeding.

Wasserstein is particularly doing well in creating an enthusiastic work environment through the intentional use of fun and play.  Fun begins in his preferred title, Director of Customer Happiness, where “I do tap dance as fast as I can with all the balls in the air,” he jokingly adds.

While he tries to describe his job lightly, crucial tasks lay in his hands. As head of his organization, his main responsibilities are three-fold. His primary concern is business development, such as identifying new opportunities and determining appropriate growth policies. He is also thoroughly involved in strategy formulation, trying to figure out how to build the company and how to maintain control internally and externally.

Finally, the third task relates to both staff relation and customer relation. Given the tight labor market, “it is extremely important for the organization to have benefit programs in place, and have creative ways of attracting, retaining and developing people, and keep them motivated, stimulated and happy,” he said. The management’s goal is to create an environment where people are intellectually challenged at work; they feel responsible; they feel ownership; they feel that they have the opportunity to be creative; and that’s fun! Indeed, Archives Management's speedy and courteous service is a reflection of a satisfied workplace.